In celebration of the work of the Cornish poet Charles Causley, the Young People’s Poetry Competition aims to encourage and enable young writers to have a go at writing poetry themselves. Charles Causley wrote prolifically for adults and for young people and much of his inspiration came from what was going on around him in his hometown of Launceston in Cornwall.
With this in mind, the theme for the Trust’s 2022 competition is … ‘Home’. The competition is open to all young people aged between 5 and 18 years old who live anywhere in the UK and is free to enter. You can enter through your school, as part of a group, or you can enter as an individual.
Poems will be judged by Trust Patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Patrick Gale and a panel of poetry judges, with prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Highly Commended places in each category. This year the Trust will also have an honourable mention for a young poet based in Cornwall.
The awards will be presented at the North Cornwall Book Festival on 23rd September 2022, but an alternative digital event will be organised if there are any restrictions on public gatherings at that time.
The deadline for entries is midnight on the 31st of May 2022.